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“Build it and he/she/it/they will come”

This often misquoted quote comes to mind as I now have my first resident in my Hedgehog Hotel and first (same) customer in my Hedgehog Café. I built the Hotel and Café next to each other on the same luxury complex just last week so it hasn’t taken one little hog long to secure their cosy pad with food on-tap. These creatures are so clever.

Hedgehog Hotel and Café in my wildlife garden

The single-storey and single-room Hotel is actually a Hogitat ready made hedgehog home which I covered with twigs and branches, leaves and handfuls of hay to make it look like a natural mound. I also put handfuls of dry leaves, straw and hay inside for bedding.

I set it so that the entrance faces the wall and the access is hidden behind a tree. The hedgehog should feel pretty safe and secure once in situ. It is protected from wind, and shouldn’t get too warm as it is out of direct sunlight.

I then bought a plastic box for the Café, choosing to place it upside down near to the Hogitat home, securing it with tent pegs so that other animals (notably my two cats and Jasper the naughty Cockerpoo) can’t tip it up to get at the delicious mealworms and sunflower hearts. A bowl of water is also kept topped-up as I am feeding dry food. I’m hoping that he/she/it will start eating the slugs crawling up the garden wall when settled in!

Dining out on mealworms in the Cafe

So all in all, I am thrilled with my new resident and the fact that having made the effort to provide a home for a hedgehog, I have been rewarded so quickly!

Checking all is clear

I also checked this morning and the hedgehog is still there, curled up in a ball of straw as I intended.

Toddling off back to bed

I’m hoping its a female and that she makes this den her forever home so we have a chance of seeing some hoglets if not this year, then maybe next.